


Soul Calibur V- Episode II

by TheThirdCharles



Series: Soul Calibur V [2]
Category: Soul Calibur
Genre: Gen, Rivalry, Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-14 04:06:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10528614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheThirdCharles/pseuds/TheThirdCharles
Summary: Dumas sends Pat hunting. Zwei feeds his puppy.





	

Soul Calibur V Episode 2

A row of four stationary Dumas Soldiers are positioned in a row on the wall of DUMAS' CHAMBER, a gilded chamber with no expense spared for decoration, albeit tasteful.

Pat walks past the Soldiers standing guard, and he faces GRAF DUMAS, a blond-haired man of even temper, a regal, young, handsome face, and white, spotless armor with golden trim, from across the room. Dumas doesn't return the look, and inspects a map of his military conquests over a large, ornate table.

DUMAS  
To what do I owe the pleasure of you barging into my palace, young Patroklos?

Pat stands at attention, as Dumas looks coolly at the map, chuckling at Pat's formality.

DUMAS  
Come on, boy. You're a commander back from an outstanding victory. Really, I should be thanking you.

Pat relaxes a bit, grimacing trying to be proud of his victory.

PAT  
It's an honor to serve the cause, Graf Dumas. It's an odd thing, though. I'd gone around their walls to charge the back gate, when I found a malfested disguised as a rebel had laid out the welcome mat for me. He'd forced their gate open and even killed a rebel before trying to escape.

DUMAS  
I'm not one to question good luck. Who knows? Maybe the poor bastard was trying to fight the possession, attempting some kind of redemption and the like.

PAT  
Didn't seem like it, sir. He seemed like one of them through and through.

DUMAS  
(fatherly, but frustrated)  
Are you seriously questioning this? I've told you time and time again not to charge in alone looking for some kind of surrender. Has it ever worked, boy?

PAT  
You never know. I've gotten something of a reputation with our enemies. Maybe they surrender and neither side has to risk their people.

DUMAS  
You didn't answer my question.

PAT  
It almost did that one time.

DUMAS  
You mean the time those traitors were stalling to load and fire a cannon at you?

PAT  
(embarrassed)  
Hey, it's not my fault. They seemed sincere.

Pat stares off, looking a bit distraught.

PAT  
It's funny. For all we do to keep these people safe, the only one that expected to get away scot-free was one of those things. He was the only one that didn't expect to die.

DUMAS  
Do yourself a favor. Don't go lumping malfested in with people. You've seen what they can do, and you've probably killed more of them than anyone with the exception of the Cardinal. Certainly the most in battle.

PAT  
About that, sir. There was this priest in the town. He had a sarcastic edge about him, but I know he wasn't a malfested. The Cardinal had him choked until he gave up some refugees he was hiding.

DUMAS  
I think you just answered your own question.

PAT  
There were kids.

DUMAS  
You know that doesn't mean a thing. For all you know, the lot of them were acquitted.

PAT  
I saw a downed rebel soldier whose life I saved from the malfested hung outside of the church.

DUMAS  
He made an example to show the townsfolk what can happen when they take arms to defend those demons.

PAT  
He didn't know!

DUMAS  
I cannot say I always understand his methods, but the fact remains he is the finest weapon we have against the malfested. The man was gifted with the ability to sense them after what they had done to him. When he was found, the rest of his brothers were found dead, as well as a malfested he had been lucky enough to kill. The Cardinal lost his sight, his throat had been mangled, and the rest of him mutilated before he felled the beast by surprise in a moment of unprecedented fortune. You aren't the only one to have lost at the hands of the malfested. He was barely alive when he made it to town, but he healed and dedicated himself to ensuring no one suffer like he had again.

PAT  
He didn't show any mercy back there. Just brutality and lifeless stares from that damn mask.

DUMAS  
You weren't there when my doctors were sewing him up. It's the kind of disfigurement I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Not a malfested-

PAT  
Not a Von Krone?

Dumas gets very serious.

DUMAS  
That's a different matter entirely. The mask is a much simpler one to explain. Blinded, he chose something elegant and innocent. He can never look that way himself again though all he wishes is for people to see the good man he really is. Each day when he puts it on, running his fingers over its perfect symmetry and smile, it gives him hope.

PAT  
Forgive me, but I hardly feel him radiating innocence.

DUMAS  
I will, but I can't speak for he Cardinal. Of course, neither can he.

PAT  
Huh?

Cardinal stands behind Pat in the doorway, not moving or making a sound. Pat is startled a bit, but barely shows it, turning to face the Cardinal.

PAT  
They weren't malfested today. And you know it.

Pat starts leaving, still mad over the day's events. Dumas sighs, almost like a parent. He calls to Pat.

DUMAS  
Rooting out the small ones not enough for you anymore? Because if that's the case, I've got a true predator for you to hunt.

PAT  
I'm all ears.

DUMAS  
A village deep in the woods is reporting a malfested.

PAT  
Just the one? Not a huge invasion or anything?

DUMAS  
That's the issue. One man coordinating with a giant wolf, harassing a village with several confirmed victims already. I want its pelt.

Pat smiles at the idea of a more suitable challenge, trying his best to put the day's earlier events out of mind.

PAT  
Sounds like a challenge. Anything I should look out for?

DUMAS  
(smirking, in good spirits)  
Claws, I'd assume.

Pat bows, grateful but conflicted.

PAT  
It will be done, my Graf.

Pat walks off. Cardinal steps forward. Dumas turns to him, and Cardinal drops to the floor bowing.

DUMAS  
He's a good kid, but when push comes to shove, he doesn't have the stomach for what needs to be done. Did your purge succeed?

Cardinal nods slowly and gracefully.

DUMAS  
Most impressive as always. And what of the shard?

Cardinal pulls a glowing orange shard out from under his robes, presenting it to Dumas. Dumas speaks as he walks, very pleased with all of this, opening a large, golden box at the center of the back wall, and gently deposits the shard, the box irradiating orange light.

DUMAS  
We're going to free this land. And reign in an age of unity, free of the rogue malfested, the rebels, the Von Krones, all of it. What say you to that?

Dumas stands the box, his smile fading. He calls to Cardinal, who rises to meet him at the center table.

DUMAS  
You're more capable than the boy, but your bantering abilities leave something to be desired. No matter, old friend. There's still much planning to be done.

Dumas closes the box.

PAT, DUMAS OFFICER, DUMAS GOON and seven DUMAS SOLDIERS riding on horseback lit by torchlight down a dark forest road.

DUMAS OFFICER  
How did your talk with the Graf go, sir?

PAT  
As well as could be expected. We're here, aren't we?

DUMAS OFFICER  
I suppose. What's our target?

PAT  
A fairly tall, rugged guy. Huntsman type, apparently allied with a huge wolf.

DUMAS OFFICER  
A wolf? I didn't know those could enter alliances.

PAT  
I didn't know malfested could be likable enough to make friends. You learn something new every day. Not exactly the battalion we got for the last mission, is it?

DUMAS OFFICER  
No, but we've got some fine fighters with us. Some of the Graf's toughest men. A bit rough around the edges, though.

PAT  
Let's hope we find him fast. If what you say is true, these aren't the types you'd want roaming an isolated village.

DUMAS GOON 1  
We're the best the Graf's got. He pays us to fight and that's what counts. Let us hunt our way and we'll skin 'em both for you.

PAT  
Stay out of the village if possible. Ideally, we'll fight him where it won't drag any villagers into the crossfire.

DUMAS GOON 1  
We'll keep that in mind, sir.

DUMAS OFFICER  
There's the guard post up ahead.

DUMAS GOON 1  
Oh damn...

The GUARD POST, a two story brick and wood fortification, is covered with blood. Dismembered bodies dot the lawn in front of it. The group continues to ride up to it, when a shot rings out from a rifle atop the post. It misses the men and the riflemen among them, three in total, dismount, taking cover behind trees. Pat and the others also dismount, seeking cover. The riflemen open fire on the assailant, DUMAS SURVIVOR. Pat, Dumas Officer, Dumas Goon and the other Dumas Soldiers start to sneak around the post while Dumas Survivor is preoccupied from the riflemen. Dumas Survivor screams out from the post.

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
Hold your fire! You're not malfested?!

DUMAS RIFLEMAN 1  
No! You neither?

Dumas Survivor is inside the top floor of the Post, reloading his rifle and almost crying. He's been fairly badly beaten and the inside of the Post is littered with bodies.

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
No! You from the Graf?

DUMAS RIFLEMAN 1  
Yeah. Just you sit tight. The cavalry's here.

Pat and his team take the steps up to the second story with Pat himself taking the lead. Dumas Survivor hears their footsteps and gets behind an overturned table, aiming at the door, hysterical.

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
Oh thank God! I'm saved!

Pat calls out to him.

PAT  
This is Lord Patroklos Alexander, soldier. I'm here to hunt the demon that did this to your friends and I'm going to come in now and ask for your help. Understand?

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
Y-yeah, alright...

Pat steps into the room and Dumas Survivor raises his aim away from Pat. Pat, Dumas Officer, and two of the four Dumas Soldiers at the door enter.

PAT  
Now, then. The hell happened here, soldier?

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
What do you think?! It was that wolf-man! The one you've no doubt been sent here to kill.

PAT  
"Wolfman"? Look, you're just scared and don't know what you saw. That's impossible.

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
He'd been harassing our supply lines for a while, beating up our men pretty bad and sending them back telling us to get out. We stood our ground and sent out messages in town warning him what'll happen if he didn't leave.

PAT  
He got them? How?

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
Why wouldn't he? Out here all alone? Nah, he's working with these bastards in the village. Ever since we built this here fort, they've been nothing but trouble. We put down a couple riots and arrested a couple of them to 'talk' about this. Casualties happened- how couldn't they? He found out and we found one of our guys with his head off in the woods.

DUMAS OFFICER  
And all this?

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
We roughed up the village to find him, one thing led to another, more riots, a couple houses got burned and one of them might have had someone in it.

PAT  
You're kidding me.

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
I STAYED OUT OF IT! I didn't want any of this, but it sure shut the townsfolk up! Then something changed. Every night, he's been killing a man here. It got to the point where we locked ourselves up in here and the only one that went out was a runner to get reinforcements.

PAT  
Why wouldn't he kill that one?

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
Because of you, Patroklos.

DUMAS OFFICER  
Show some respect!

PAT  
Because of me?

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
The guys here? We're a damn joke, guarding some backwoods town the Von Krones used to hold? We ain't at the front! We're playing jailer to some meaningless fallen log of a town and you're killing his kind out there like a crusader! You're gonna be a trophy on his wall!

PAT  
I wouldn't count on that.

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
I LOST EVERYONE! I'm the lucky one; I'm last. Who knows? I never killed anyone in those riots. Maybe he knows I'm innocent!

PAT  
Sit down, soldier. They've sent out the best. I'll get the bastard and then we'll get you back home.

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
You're all gonna die.

PAT  
You two, stand guard. The rest, with me. RIFLEMEN! MOUNT UP!

Pat and the others, except two Dumas Soldiers gather up to move out. The remaining two stand by the door with broadswords, guarding DUMAS SURVIVOR.

PAT  
Where the hell- don't tell me...

Pat and the others run into the tree line where the riflemen were. The three Riflemen are dead. One impaled with his own bayonet, another with chunks bitten out of his neck and abdomen, and the last with his head almost cut off. Pat gets tense at the sight of this.

PAT  
He's on the hunt now. If any of you can shoot, take their guns. It's not like they'll need them.

DUMAS GOON 1  
I count two.

PAT  
Where the hell's the last one?

DUMAS GOON 1  
It'd seem the puppy's armed now.

PAT  
You're not scared?

DUMAS GOON 1  
Please. He caught them reloading.

Dumas Soldier twirls his mace.

DUMAS GOON 1  
I don't have that problem. He's a dead man.

PAT  
Hope so. Into the forest.

DUMAS GOON 1  
There's an easier way to bring him out, you know.

PAT  
I'm listening.

DUMAS GOON 1  
Crazy says he attacked whenever the village got riled up. Odds are, he's a villager, but I know he'll come out if we put on a big show and ruffle a few feathers.

PAT  
Not an option.

DUMAS GOON 1  
So we trek across the forest with no clue where he'll hit from? Why not pick the fight on our own terms?

PAT  
I know what you're trying and I'm not going to let you sack a village on one survivor's account in hopes you'll snag yourself a wolf.

DUMAS GOON 1  
You're the boss, sir. C'mon boys, into the woods.

Pat and Dumas Officer lead, the others falling behind.

PAT  
I've fought malfested, but a wolf-man? It's absurd.

DUMAS OFFICER  
What do you think it is, then? You saw those bodies.

PAT  
They trained a wolf? I don't really know. We'll sort that out after we bag it.

Dumas Goon sees a small figure that clearly isn't the wolf.

DUMAS GOON 1  
I see him! There!

PAT  
It's so damn dark... are you sure?

DUMAS GOON 1  
He's getting away!

The figure runs away. Pat and Dumas Officer charge after it.

PAT  
Damn!

Dumas Goon holds back the Soldiers as Pat and Dumas Officer run after the figure.

DUMAS GOON 1  
Into town, boys. Kill him for our boys back there.

Dumas Goon and the two Dumas Soldiers climb the stairs back to the Post.

DUMAS GOON 1  
Alright, crazy. You say he attacks when we get a rise out of the village?

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
Yeah... Why?

DUMAS GOON 1  
Because Patroklos and his sidekick went chasing some shadows and we lost track of them. We came here to regroup, but the wolf did too. He killed you and we chased him to the village.

DUMAS SURVIVOR  
Wait a minute! You don't hav-

A Dumas Soldier cleaves his broadsword into the Survivor's head. Right before the blade hits, cut to a TAVERN within the town with five or so TOWNFOLK, poor-looking, Germanic villagers, drinking happily.

Dumas Goon 1 and the four Dumas Soldiers enter, kicking down the door.

BARKEEP  
It was open, you know.

DUMAS GOON 1  
Funny thing is, I can say the same thing about the soldiers up there in that post. Like torn up by a wolf kind of open. I hear you people have a town pet and a village idiot that gives it orders. Now where could I find this man and what's he look like?

VILLAGER, a middle-aged woman, stands up to Dumas Goon.

VILLAGER  
Serves you people right.

DUMAS GOON backhands her to the ground. Other Villagers rush to help her up. Dumas Goon hears a pistol cock from the bar. The Barkeep has drawn on him.

BARKEEP  
You people aren't welcome here after all you've done. Get out.

A Dumas Soldier shoots him in the arm with a crossbow, pinning him to the wall. Villagers are forced out of the tavern screaming as the pistol flies over the counter.

DUMAS GOON 1  
There's other ways to draw him out than asking him nicely, you know.

The Dumas soldiers and Dumas Goon 1 walk out of the tavern. Dumas Goon 1 hands a Soldier a torch from a nearby torch stand.

DUMAS GOON 1  
Have some fun, boys! We've got a job to do, after all! Wolfie won't summon himself! Ha!

Pat and Dumas Officer continue to chase the figure through the woods. Pat cuts through the branches with his sword, as the figure continues keep ahead of him. The figure looks back.

PAT  
You're dead, you demon bastard!

Figure reaches a cliff at the end of the woods. The figure turns, terrified. Figure is a YOUNG WOMAN, a pretty girl of around sixteen, crying with her dress torn from running through the forest. Pat stops, shocked at this. Young Woman pulls out a small knife.

YOUNG WOMAN  
STAY BACK!

PAT  
What?! Miss! Calm down! Put away the knife!

YOUNG WOMAN  
You people aren't doing that to me again! I'll kill you first, I swear I will!

PAT  
We aren't going to hurt you! We're here for the wolf! We're here to protect you!

YOUNG WOMAN  
You're not! After what the soldiers did to me that last riot... never again!

PAT  
They... oh no. No, we're not like that, miss. Don't be afraid.

YOUNG WOMAN  
You people all say you're here to help and then you take... you take everything from me!

PAT  
...we're not all like that. My name's Pat, this here's my friend, and neither of us are gonna hurt you.

YOUNG WOMAN  
There were more of you!

Pat turns around, realizing he lost Dumas Goon 1 and the Soldiers.

PAT  
DAMN IT! THEY DIDN'T! Ma'am, we're gonna handle this. Stay safe!

YOUNG WOMAN  
Don't you worry about me. You're the ones that should be scared with our wolf about. You lot have done it now.

PAT  
Are you gonna be alright? Won't he go after you too?

YOUNG WOMAN  
He may be a wolf, but he's not an animal.

Dumas Soldier stands ready to throw the torch into the tavern. Dumas Goon watches him, looking around at fleeing townspeople and swinging his mace to show off as four VILLAGERS, older men and women with pitchforks and the like, are afraid to rush him.

DUMAS GOON 1  
Weakling, little townies... Do it.

Dumas Soldier winds up to throw, but a shot rings out from the stolen rifle. it hits Dumas Soldier square in the chest, killing him. Dumas Goon 1 and the three remaining soldiers, as well as the Villagers are all surprised by this. The torch falls, catching the corpse on fire. The Dumas Goon 1 and Soldiers look to the rooftops of the town. On top of an especially tall one is a silhouette of ZWEI in front of the full moon, holding the rifle stolen off the rifleman in the woods.

ZWEI  
You four are in for it now.

The Villagers smile in relief and return to their homes, except for one that starts for the tavern. Dumas Goon 1 stops him.

DUMAS GOON 1  
Shoot him, goddamnit!

The soldier that still has a rifle and the one with the crossbow quickly draw a bead on Zwei and fire. Zwei slides behind the roof of the building.

DUMAS GOON 1  
How about that? It was just some dumbass on a roof. Now find me a body. After that, we get the wolf. Except you. You tend the bar.

DUMAS SOLDIER  
Gotcha. Heh.

Pat hears the shots from the village and runs back along with Dumas Officer.

PAT  
Crap! Why'd he send us with a bunch of barbarians?

DUMAS OFFICER  
Maybe some barbarity is what the job calls for.

PAT  
Yeah, or maybe he doesn't care. Let's hope we're not too late.

Dumas Goon 1 and the two Soldiers move down the street, the soldiers holding a crossbow and greatsword respectively. They reach the other side of the building where Zwei supposedly fell but find no corpse.

DUMAS SOLDIER  
Where the hell did he go?

A Greatsword comes flying at them from a roof across the street. It hits Dumas Goon 1 in the chestplate with the handle.

DUMAS GOON 1  
OOF!

Dumas Goon goes down with a few broken ribs. The others look up to see ZWEI, a muscular man in his early twenties in a torn purple vest, and black leather pants, boots and gauntlets with a head of wild black hair with gray bangs and a large, silver crescent moon tattoo on his chest,, leaping at them. The soldier with the crossbow fires it, and smirks when he sees it's on track to hit Zwei's head. A massive silver jaw materializes out of the air, biting the arrow in two, breaking its momentum. The jaw vanishes. That soldier is terrified; Zwei lands feet first on his neck, breaking it. He gets up and catches the greatsword as it bounces from the impact. The other soldier raises his sword to block. Zwei sees this and comes down on it with his sword anyway. Zwei hits with so much force that the blade is pushed down deep and the soldier has his own sword lodged in his left shoulder.

DUMAS GOON 1  
Now you're mine!

The soldier falls over, his own sword stuck in himself, out of the fight. Zwei brings his sword up in a defensive stance. Dumas Goon 1 swings the mace horizontally. Zwei blocks, causing him the Goon to lose balance. Zwei brings his foot down hard on Goon's left foot, breaking Goon's toes in the process. Goon sweeps at his legs. Zwei backsteps and as he does, EIN, an ethereal werewolf creature flows out from his body, pouncing onto Goon.

ZWEI  
No, you're his.

Barkeep is still pinned, eying his pistol, which had gone over the counter when he was shot, as the remaining Soldier eyes a keg.

DUMAS SOLDIER  
Don't try it, old man. You people are losing your wolf. Think you can kill my friends? Ever go up to the outpost and see what your friend did?

Dumas Soldier raises his greatsword, about to cleave it down. Barkeep flinches and the sword comes down next to him, cracking open a keg, pouring beer everywhere on the floor. The soldier breaks off part of the counter, pours a drink left on the counter onto it, smashes the glass, and moves toward the door to step outside and light it. He eyes the burning body, sighs, and then steps outside, extending his hand to light the stick. Zwei is revealed to have been waiting around the corner and cuts off his extended arm. From the view right next to the Barkeep, we see Zwei's sword turning and cutting off the last Dumas Soldier's head. The soldier slumps to the ground. Zwei swings his sword, sticking into the side of the doorway.

ZWEI  
Y'know, I thought the barkeep was supposed to drown people in booze, not the other way around.

Zwei puts his hands on barkeep's pinned arm.

ZWEI  
Ready?

BARKEEP  
Yep.

Zwei pushes his arm off the arrow as Barkeep winces.

PAT  
(yelling across town)  
WOLF-MAN! I'M PATROKLOS ALEXANDER, RIGHT HAND OF DUMAS AND MY SWORD IS THE CURE FOR MALFESTED LIKE YOU! COME OUT AND FACE ME!

ZWEI  
There he is! I landed the big fish tonight. You alright?

BARKEEP  
Either way, you're gonna go kick his ass, aren't you?

ZWEI  
That's why I like this bar. You just get me.

Zwei grabs the sword which had been wedged in the doorway, running out into the night. Cut to Pat, standing with the surviving Dumas Soldier, his left arm rendered useless, and Dumas Officer.

PAT  
How'd that sound?

DUMAS OFFICER  
Layed on the ham a bit there, sir.

PAT  
What'd you think?

DUMAS SOLDIER  
My arm's broken!

PAT  
If what the girl in the forest said was true, that's the least of your problems when we're done here. He's an actual wolf-man, you said?

DUMAS SOLDIER  
You're damn right! You can't beat him! He took the lot of us without breaking a sweat.

PAT  
I've beaten bands of thugs too, you know. Betraying my orders and running back to pillage the town. How'd trash like you fall in with the Graf, anyway?

ZWEI  
Killers, thieves, and rapists. Seems like they were pretty well qualified. Don't you think?

Zwei drops down from the roof above Pat, his sword slung across his shoulders. Pat and Dumas Officer draw their swords.

PAT  
Believe you me, they're gonna pay for that. For now, though, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you're the wolf.

ZWEI  
Aren't you the smart one. Then again, the big ol' moon tattoo might have given it away. You must be Patroklos, Dumas's favorite killer.

PAT  
Now, how would you figure that out?

ZWEI  
The fact you look like a punk I'm about to feed to Ein.

PAT  
Who's that, your wolf?

ZWEI  
In a way. He's more than that. He's a part of me.

PAT  
I knew malfested were weird, but even I didn't think they'd be into that.

ZWEI  
Heh. Clueless, aren't you? ...know what? Come see what a 'malfested' can do.

Pat braces himself as Zwei charges at him. Pat blocks Zwei's attack with his shield, as Zwei's sword slides off the shield. Pat moves to stab Zwei, but as he moves his shield, Zwei rushes in and shoulder checks him. Pat rolls backwards as Zwei twirls his sword. Pat starts to roll to one side, but Zwei's sword hits the ground, spinning and creating sparks. Pat stops rolling to that side and instead rolls in the other direction. Pat jumps up, his one foot landing on Zwei's leg. Pat kicks with his other leg, hitting Zwei in the neck. Zwei staggers a bit, swinging the sword back at Pat who has landed and blocks with the shield. Pat thrusts his sword to stab Zwei in the ribs, but Zwei parries, attacking again, cutting Pat across the shoulder as Pat backsteps. Pat gets into a low, defensive stance. Zwei slashes down at Pat, who is ready with the shield. Pat blocks and stabs Zwei in the shin. The stab isn't deep, but it's enough for Zwei to cringe, his head dropping a bit. Pat thrusts again at his head, but Zwei blocks. Pat forces their swords down as Zwei drops his. He bashes Zwei in the face with his shield. Pat thrusts again. Zwei sidesteps and punches him in the face. Pat goes down, getting back up, his mouth bleeding a bit, sword raised to Zwei. Zwei snickers and walks over to pick up his sword. Dumas Officer dives at Zwei with a slash.

PAT  
Damn it, stay back!

Zwei dodges, grabbing Dumas Officer from behind. Zwei snaps his neck. Pat becomes furious.

PAT  
SON OF A BITCH!

Zwei flips his sword back up, parrying four attacks from Pat. Pat and Zwei lock swords.

ZWEI  
It's ok! He was 'malfested'!

PAT  
He wasn't! He was a good man!

ZWEI  
Like all those villagers they killed! 'Malfested'!

They break away.

PAT  
Don't you say that! You've got no right, you damn demon!

ZWEI  
But it's so nice! Even if it isn't true, don't it feel great to be immediately vindicated? You guys have it worked out really well. This guy, that guy: malfested! The villages you invade: malfested! The kids they slaughtered in the riots? Malfested, every last one! You don't even know what the word means, do you?

PAT  
Yes I do.

ZWEI  
And how's that?

PAT  
They took my sister and killed my mother!

Pat slashes at Zwei, who blocks. Zwei has an interested look on his face.

ZWEI  
Did they now? And yet you kill for Dumas? To what, make the pain go away?

Zwei keeps blocking as Pat pressures him up a flight of stairs.

PAT  
He's the only one fighting them!

ZWEI  
That's what you call this? Killing for that bastard's power grab is nothing special. For every malfested you guys kill, there's a trail of bodies that's twice what it would've left.

PAT  
Shut your mouth!

Zwei flips his sword, grabbing it by the hilt guard, swinging it at Pat, who is hit into the wall with a forceful impact.

ZWEI  
You're sincere, aren't you? You really thought you killers are doing good, slaughtering people like your mother until a monster like me puts you down?

PAT  
Let me make this very clear. I'm fighting to protect the innocent. Malfested like you are tearing good people to shreds, people like my mother, and are doing god knows what with people like my sister. I'm going to fight to the death to protect people like them. Come on, you bastard. I'm ready for you.

Pat charges in. Zwei swings again, twirling the sword on the hiltguard. Pat blocks, sidestepping around Zwei. Zwei puts his sword around Pat's back, bringing him in for a headbutt. Zwei releases Pat, swinging at him from below. Pat's shield blocks the hit as Pat's sword catches Zwei across the face. Pat falls over the balcony, getting back onto his feet on the ground. Zwei wipes a streak of blood off his face, smirking.

ZWEI  
Well, you are the genuine article, aintcha?

PAT  
None truer.

ZWEI  
It's a shame I have to kill you.

PAT  
Go on and try.

ZWEI  
You know what else is a shame?

PAT  
Hmm?

ZWEI  
You still haven't met my friend.

Ein appears, an ethereal torso of a wolf-man, growling. Pat is speechless. Ein smashes Pat into a wall, which cracks a bit. Pat gets up to swing back, but Ein catches the sword, bleeding a bit from his claw. Pat spins, twisting the sword out of Ein's claw. Ein recoils. Pat moves to slash at Ein, now caught off guard- only for Zwei to hack him in the side. Pat slashes at Zwei who withdraws his blade and dodges. Ein uppercuts Pat and Pat drops both his shield and sword. Zwei walks up to Pat, who is barely standing. Pat has gotten his sword back; Zwei throws his sword high into the air. Pat is startled to see that Zwei is rushing him, and he charges at Zwei blindly in return. Ein appears over Zwei as a clear spirit, almost like an aura. Pat's expression only gets more intense.

PAT  
DEATH TO SOUL EDGE!

Pat swings prematurely, Zwei ducking the hit. Zwei and Ein's fusion chomps onto the side of Pat's torso. Pat screams and they lift him in the ethereal jaws, throwing him in the air. As Pat is about to land, an ethereal claw digs into his chest, and forces him down into the ground even harder. Pat is badly wounded, most of him bloodied and his armor torn, completely unable to get back up. Zwei holds his fist over Pat's head. His sword lands, its grip in his hand, the blade at Pat's throat. Ein disappears completely the instant Zwei catches the sword. Pat is still conscious.

ZWEI  
Crawl back to Dumas and tell him about this. Tell him Zwei the 'malfested' is waiting for him.

Zwei moves away from Pat, Pat about to black out.

ZWEI  
If by some miracle you come out of this alive, there's a village east of Dumas's castle. I hear there's a good fortune teller there. Something tells me you'll need a good look into your path.

Pat blacks out.

END


End file.
